[Reader-list] Taslima Nasreen

[Tapas Ray]

Though I do not count myself among Taslima Nasreen's fans, I think the
Minority Forum's call for her deportation is condemnable.

However, the rioting does look fishy, because as a Calcuttan/Kolkatan,
I do not remember the Forum managing a large mobilisation in that city
in the last several years. As such, there may be something in what
Forum leader Idris Ali says about the CPI(M)'s agent provocateurs.

Maybe I have read too many detective stories in my boyhood, but the
questions I find myself asking are: What can be the motive? Who can
have that motive? Who stands to gain from the rioting? The answer is,
the CPI(M) and the Left Front government.

The very fact of the Forum raising the Nandigram issue along with
Taslima was good for the CPI(M), in that it can be used to create an
association in people's minds, subliminally, between the
anti-Nandigram campaign and communalism, thus painting the former in
anti-democratic and obscurantist colours. This is something the CPI(M)
had failed to accomplish with its stress on the active role of the
Jamaat-e-Islami in the BUPC during the months of stand-off with the
latter.

If the Forum's curious choice of issues was good enough for the
CPI(M), the rioting purportedly by those supporting these demands is
even better, for obvious reasons. But why did the Forum arrive at that
choice in the first place? One factor could be the influence of CPI(M)
moles in it - the party is well known for trying to infiltrate every
organisation of any consequence.

Also, there are elements in the Forum with Congress links, and it
needs to be remembered that, despite the CPI(M)'s critical stand with
respect to Nandigram, it is still with Congress in the ruling
coalition at the national level. In fact, just a few days ago, after
months of fire-breathing, the Left gave the Congress government the
go-ahead for negotiations with the IAEA on India-specific safeguards
related to the Indo-US nuclear deal. Today's happenings could be the
Congress' way of saying thank you to the CPI(M).

Reads like a bad detective story? At least some of those who have some
knowledge of West Bengal, will probably agree if I say that things in
that state often resemble that.

Tapas


> Idris Ali, a senior leader of the Minority Forum, blamed the state's ruling Communists > for the violence.

> "They have infiltrated our ranks and sparked the violence. We wanted to protest        > peacefully but the Marxists are trying to discredit us," Mr Ali told the BBC.

> The Marxists denied the charge.

> "We had no idea of their plans, they have planned the trouble, they must take the     > blame for this mayhem," Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Biman Bose said.



On 21/11/2007, Jamie Dow <J.Dow at leeds.ac.uk> wrote:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7105277.stm
>
> Background articles would be useful, if any other list members can oblige.
> Thanks
> Jamie
>